A Fragile Comfort
by The Fallen Sun
Summary: A one shot requested by a friend of mine involving Jace helping make someone's thoughts better. Nothing too out there I don't think, but tis my first delving into MTG fanfiction. Hope you folks enjoy and let me know if you want a continuation!


There was something to be said about Ravnica. The districts, the sights, the sounds all of it could be considered overwhelming but for the Guildpact it was an equivalent to a walk in the part. Walking through planes, matching blows with the likes of Nicol Bolas has all put a strain on him but now it was settled and his comrades scattered to tie up loose ends Jace found himself alone, at least physically. The districts mourned Gideon still, and he did too in his own way. He did what his stubborn friend would do as he wandered, helped those that needed it.

…_look if I stab the…_

…_who knows if I can save…_

…_maybe if I go this way…_

…_make the headaches stop…_

The last thought that trickled into his mind as he roamed caused him to stop mid stride. His simple blue robes, the more elaborate ones left behind for today, billowed around him for a moment and he secured his hood a bit more firmly over his features. He wanted to be left alone and not swarmed by everyone begging for his help. Despite his talents he could only do so much before he too felt strained.

There were plenty of blue robes from both the Simic and Azorious guilds so he often went incognito, letting his mind drift as it was needed. He looked around and he curled a finger this way and that, weaving through the muddle of thoughts in the crowd before finding the particular individual. They were a guildless dressed in a simple linen shirt a pair of shorts and had a beaten up looking back hanging loosely over a shoulder. He couldn't tell the gender, given the hood and mask but they were rubbing their temple, resting against a shop stall.

Jace weaved his way through the crowd, adding subtle hints to their minds to unknowingly step in a different direction to more or less part the crowd in his favor. It wasn't long at all before he was leaning against the same support on an opposite side. Tapping into someone's mind was always dangerous, one wrong pluck and their mind was gone forever. Jace had grown accustomed to the people of Ravnica and their minds so when he delved in he was expecting something normal.

Sadly normal didn't seem to be on the mind's eye when it came to this guildless one. Ranging from thoughts of doomed relationships to waking up to the sky being on fire whoever this guildless was they had plenty on their mind. Even the blind could see none of it was good. He kept up the mind delve and found a weird assortment of familial memories. Some were tarnished in the dark, others rarely visited. A mere pulse of from his hand echoed the thoughts into the passing crowd's mind. They were alive, but distant from their child and there was a brief glimmer of this guildess showing some prowess for Selesnya. A curious thing given this part of the districts favored Orzhov and Gruul supporters from the brief murmuring thoughts he dwelled upon.

_W-What the?_ The guildless looked around and fixed him with a glare. They'd find that screaming wouldn't work. To their credit, they seemed calm about a telepath housing in their mind._ Who are you?! Get out of my head, mage!_

_Be at ease_, he murmured soothingly into the guildless' mind, letting his magics work over the suggestion, _you have some things out of order I simply thought if they were… standing upright again you'd feel less pain. Ravnica's people are strained, and I'm doing what I can._

The guildless paled, staring wide eyed at him and Jace could see a hand reaching for a long looking dagger at his hip. Jace's hand shot out, gripping the wrist and squeezing tight. He could see the panic behind their dark eyes.

_Either I do this with your permission, or I do this painfully. Please do not make me do the second one._

Slowly the guildless nodded and relaxed with the figure's shrouded shoulders slumping. A sigh of resignation spilled from the masked mouth.

_Fine_, came the tired hiss, _I don't see how some stupid head mage can help me._

_Sometimes the greatest illusion is one established with the truths ingrained in our minds. Lets see if we can get rid of those headaches, at least for now._

Jace worked swiftly and surely, letting a psychic limb reach inside and sort out the jumble of tarnished thoughts, polishing them and making them brighter then before. He ordered them differently as well showing how things fell apart for the guildless. It was a mere curl of his finger as the anger, depression and some portions of their actual memory were altered until there was a better outlook overall. He didn't feel right sometimes wiping a memory entirely out. Even with Vraska it was a risk but that paid itself out in the end.

_How are you feeling?_ He asked, quietly in their mind.

The guildess opened their eyes and he could see the jaw working beneath the mask they wore. They already looked better, but he couldn't tell if his work paid off yet. He could see a smile tugging the material now.

_Better._ Came the reply, it was almost shy.

Jace managed a small smile beneath his hood even as his hand curled into a loose fist at his side again, doing his best to be subtle with his magics. _Good, now a final touch._

He went back to work, weeding through the mind again and leaving the framework and edited memories untouched. He found the reason they were in the market buried beneath the regenerated memories and tugged that forward before adding a layer of exhaustion on top of it. The errand could wait from what he saw, a simple grocery list. He pulled from their mind again. He stepped close, letting a hand squeeze their shoulder. He leaned to their ear.

"Sleep." He murmured.

Soon the guildess walked off, nodding off as they arrived back to their home safely and Jace disappeared back into the sea of robes and hoods again.

…_who knows when we…_

…_look I understand…_

…_it's too late, we're going…_

…_thank you…_


End file.
